1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of integrated circuits, and in particular, to constructing smaller and more efficient integrated circuits using integrated circuit modules to create shorter connection paths between elements, and to customize the shape of the completed integrated circuit in order to use real estate more efficiently.
2. Description of the Related Art
In creating an integrated circuit (IC), various elements, such as logic and memory, need to be combined to provide the desired functionality for the IC. However, as the number of elements in an IC increases, the size of the IC wafer itself increases. In addition, as the size of the wafer increases, the elements of the IC have longer pathways between the elements, increasing the communication time between the elements and thus decreasing the overall speed of the IC. Thus, there is a need to arrange the wafers to accommodate all elements without increasing the size of the wafer.
One solution is to create IC modules, where the IC modules are combined to create the overall IC. Each IC module has an element attached to an individual wafer, and the IC modules are arranged to reduce the real estate used by the IC, or reduce the pathway lengths between elements. The IC modules are electrically connected at the edges, but are structurally connected either to a common carrier substrate below the IC modules or bonded flush at the edges. This method requires either the use of an additional wafer for use as a carrier substrate, and/or the use of toxic adhesives to bond the IC module wafers together to create a final IC. In addition, the ability to customize the shape of the completed IC is compromised since the overall shape of the completed IC is governed by the shape of the carrier substrate, or by the planar shape of the IC modules, leading to both longer pathways, thus decreasing the overall speed of the IC, and the IC taking up more real estate than is otherwise necessary.
A second solution is to stack the IC modules vertically, with the elements being electrically interconnected through pathways along the edge of the stack or through the center of the stack. This solution results in taller ICs, often resembling cubes, which take up more vertical air space, but less horizontal real estate in a housing. However, these stacked IC modules still require the use of toxic adhesives and other bonding techniques in order to structurally connect the IC modules. In addition, these stacked IC modules have problems cooling the IC elements at the center of these stacks. Lastly, the size of the completed stack still utilizes more real estate than is necessary, only in three dimensions instead of two, and also is not conformable to the shape of the housing.
As a result, the prior solutions lack the capacity to provide structural, positive connections between edges of IC modules, thus requiring the use of adhesives and additional carrier substrates. In addition, the prior solutions only teach reducing the real estate taken up by the IC by vertically stacking the IC modules, which results in taking up vertical air space and results in cooling problems. Lastly, the prior solutions do not suggest how to construct an IC using IC modules to conform the IC to non-rectangular, out-of-plane shapes in the housing.
An object of the present invention is to create a positive structural connection between IC modules using interlocking edges so as to allow for the creation of an IC having irregular shapes allowing for a greater reduction in real estate used by the IC within a housing.
A further object of the present invention to create a modular IC wherein the IC modules can be arranged such that, in combination with the use of external and/or internal pathways, to optimize the pathway lengths between elements resulting in decreased communication times and an increased speed for the IC.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a modular IC using interlocking edges to create a non-planar IC by connecting the IC modules at angles relative to the attachment surfaces of the IC modules.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.
To accomplish the above and other objectives, an IC module has an attachment surface suitable for attachment of an element, a first interlocking edge adjacent to the respective attachment surface, wherein the first interlocking edge is sized to be securely received by a respective interlocking edge of an adjacent IC module or other device forming a structural connection.
When combined with other IC modules, a preferred embodiment of the present invention provides for an IC that has a plurality of first and second IC modules, a plurality of elements attached to a respective attachment surface of a respective IC module, each first IC module comprising a first interlocking edge adjacent to the respective attachment surface, each second IC module comprising a second interlocking edge adjacent to the respective attachment surface, wherein each first IC module is structurally connected to a respective second IC module by interlocking the first interlocking edge of the first IC module with the second interlocking edge of the respective second IC module since the first interlocking edge is sized to be securely received by the second interlocking edge, and where the elements are in communication with each other.
To create the IC using IC modules, another preferred embodiment of the present invention is directed to a method of connecting IC modules, each IC module having an interlocking edge adjacent to an attachment surface, and an element attached to the attachment surface, the method including connecting the interlocking edges of the IC modules to create a structural connection, and connecting the elements on the to allow the to communicate.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the interlocking edges are a plurality of teeth and recesses, wherein the teeth of one interlocking edge are securely received by the respective teeth of the another interlocking edge so as to create a structural connection between the IC modules.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the interlocking edges are ridge members or ridge recesses, wherein the ridge member of one interlocking edge is securely received by the respective ridge recess of the another interlocking edge so as to create a structural connection between adjacent IC modules.
In yet a further embodiment of the present invention, the integrated circuit modules are combined such that attachment surfaces of adjacent integrated circuit modules define an angle, where this angle is determined based upon the size of a housing for the IC, and by the optimal pathway between elements on the IC.